Humidifier for mechanical refrigerators



July 30, 1940. R. H. TULL HUMIDIFIER FOR MECHANICAL REFRIGERATORS 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 19, 1938 2 av S'roaaqs. 5915::

Fxq. 1.

INVENTOR ROBERT H. Tu\

WITNESSES:

Patented July 30, 1940 2,209.43 j nunnnmma row ATE NT OFFICE REFRIGERATBS Robert Harrell Tull, Springfield, .asaignor to Westinghouse Electric'8; Manufacturing Company, East Pittsburgh, Pm, acorporation ofPennsylvania Application October 19. .1938. serial no; gasses Claims.(01. 2-103) This invention relates to mechanical refrigerators and moreespecially to a means for increasing and regulating the humidity of therefrigerated chamber. The invention is a continuation in part of mycopending application, Serial No.

218,270, filed July 9, 1938 and assignedto the, Westinghouse Electric 8:Manufacturing Com-1t,"

pany.

One object of the invention is to provide a 10 means for increasing thehumidity of the refrigerated chamber by raising the temperature of anexposed body of water therein.

Another object is to provide a means for regulating the humidity of therefrigerated chamber by controlling the exposed surface of a body ofwater therein.

These and other objects are effected by my invention as will be apparentfrom the following description and claims taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through the cabinet on the line I-I of Fig.2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

F g. 2 is a vertical section through the cabinet on the line IIII ofFig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows; and, 1

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the adjustable drain on the lineIII- IlI of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the drawings, numeral l0 designates a cabinet ofconventional construction which comprises an outer shell H andahorizontal partition l2 therein. The partition l2 divides the cabinet-l0 into an upper refrigerated food storage chamber l3 and a lowermachine compartment l4.. The bottom edges ll: of the shell II are turnedinwardly and blocks iii are secured to their lower surfaces to form feeton which the cabinet l0 rests. On the upper surfaces ofthe inturnededges I 5 is a platform l1" upon which is secured a refrigerantliquefying unit 18 of the well-known compressor-condenser type.

The food storage chamber. l3 comprises an inner shell l9 and heatinsulating material 2'] between adjacent portions of theinner shell l9and the outer shell I l and between the inner shell 19 and the partitionl2. An opening 22 in the front wall and'a hinged door 23 therein providefor access to the chamber l3. A cooling unit 24 or evaporator is locatedin the upper portionof the storage chamber l3 which unit-24 is securedin the food storage chamber l3 in a slightly inclined position. Thecooling unit 24 comprises through which a tube 28 passes back and forth.The tube 23 communicates through ducts 21 and 28 with the refrigerantliquefying unit l8.

Below and parallel to the cooling unit 24 is a series of Z-shapedchannels 29 which channels 5 overlap but are spaced from one another toper- .mit the passage of air therebetween. These I channels 29 catch thewater which condenses and drops from the cooling unit 24 and conductsthis water to a trough 3| from which it drains through 10- a tube 32passing through the refrigerating chamber l3 into a reservoir 33 formedin the bottom of the inner. shell IS. A drain pipe 34 connects with thisreservoir 33 but has its entrance opening 35 located somewhat above thebottom of the reserl6 voir 33 so that the latter retains a small amountof water to humidify the refrigerated chamber l3. A foraminated falsebottom 36 is supported above the surface of the water to providea space31 through which air may be circulated. Con- 50 nected with this space31 is an inlet conduit 38 of a blower element 39 comprising a casing 4|,a fan 42 and a motor 43 for driving the fan 42. The fan 42 draws the airfrom the space 31 .and passes it through a vertical duct '44 located in25 the refrigerated chamber l3, through a divergent adapter 45 to thelarger end of the tapered air space 46 above the cooling unit 24. Fromhere the air flows through the cooling unit 24 throughthe space betweenthe Z-shaped channels 29, 30 through the refrigerated chamber l3,through the foraminations the false bottom 36,. over the water in thereservoir 33 where it ishumidif ed and then recirculated by the fan 42.t

The humidity obtained by this device, 3|

ever, is usually not suflicient and means; he, therefore, provided toslightly heat the water in the reservoir 33 to increase the evaporationthereof. This is done most economically by utilizing the heat of theliquid refrigerant as it leaves the 4. compressor, as will be explainedpresently.

The refrigerant liquefying unit l8 comprises a casing 41 enclosing amotor-driven compressor (not shown) which withdraws refrigerant vaporfrom the evaporator 24 through a tube 28, corn- 45 presses it, andpasses it through a tube 49 to the condenser 5i wherein it is cooledandliquefied and then passes it through a tube 21 to an expansion valve52 and thence to the evaporator 24. The refrigerant liquid in the tube21 is still 50 considerably above room temperature and a portion of thistube 21 is led through the water reservoir/33 to heat the water therein.

It will be observed thatthere is substantially no decrease in theeillciency of the refrigerating cycle by heating the water inthereservoir fl mthismanner as the'heat remaining in the'liquefledrefrigerant, is-usually dissipated by evaporation of or cooling byrefrigerantrin the system,

passing'therethro'ugh, as best shown-in Fig. 2.

The height of the entrance'opening of the drain pipe 34 is madeadjustable by providing a cup-shaped depression 54 in the bottom of thereservoir-'33 near the portion of the tube 21 in the reservoir 33 andarranging the drain pipe 34 so that a threaded portion of this pipe 34projects upwardly through the bottom of the cup 54. An internallythreaded hollow member engages the thread of the drain pipe 34 and isprovided with an opening 35 in its side which forms the entrance opening35 referred to above. The hollow member 55 is also provided with ahandwheel 56 by means of which it may be screwed upwardly or downwardlyon the threaded end of the drainpipe 34 to change the elevation of theentrance opening 35 and thereby change the height of the water in thereservoir 33. The change in height of the water results in a change inthe exposed surface of the water in the inclined bottom of the reservoir33 and hence in the humidity of the 0 food chamber I3 of therefrigerator.

35 a means for regulating this humidity.

While I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious tothose skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptibleof various changes and modifications therein without departing from thespirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitationsshall be placed thereupon as are imposed by the prior art or as are setforth in the appending claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a mechanical refrigerator, the combination of an insulatedchamber, a water pan therein, an evaporative cooling unit for saidchamber, means for conveying the condensate from said cooling unit tosaid water pan, a condenser exterior of the insulated chamber forcondensing the refrigerant evaporated by said cooling unit, a tube forconducting the condensed refrigerant from said condenser to theevaporative cooling unit, said tube being in heat exchange relationshipwith the' water normally in the water pan to increase the vaporizationof said water andthereby increase the humidity of the air in theinsulated chamber.

2. In a mechanical refrigerator, the combination of an insulatedchamber, a water pan therein, an evaporative cooling unit for saidchamber, means for conveying the condensate from said cooling unit tosaid water pan, means for circulating the air in said chamber over thesurface of the water normally in the water pan, a condenser exterior ofsaid insulated chamber for condensing the refrigerant evaporated by saidcooling unit, a tube for conducting the condensed refrigerant from saidcondenser to'the evaporative cooling unit, said tube being in heat exchange relationship with the water normally in the water pan to increasethe vaporization of said water and thereby increase the humidity of theair in the insulated chamber.

3. In a mechanical refrigerator,- the combinetion of aninsulatedchamberproviding a storage I compartment, a water pan therein, an evaporativecooling unit for said. chamber, means forconveying the condensate fromsaid cooling unit to said water-pan, means for circulating the air insaid chamber first over the cooling unit, then through the storagecompartment, and, thereafter, over the surface of the water normally inthe water pan, a condenser exterior of said insulated chamber forcondensing the refrigerant evaporated by said cooling unit, a tube forconducting the condensed refrigerant from said condenser to theevaporative cooling unit, said tube being in heat exchange relationshipwith the water normally in the water pan to increase the vaporization ofsaid water and thereby increase the humidity of the air in the insulatedchamber.

.4. In a mechanical refrigerator, the combination of an insulatedchamber providing a storage compartment, a water pan therein andadjacent to and covering substantially the entire bottom wall of saidchamber, an evaporative cooling unit for said chamber, means forconveying the cohdensate from said cooling unit to said water pan, meansfor circulating the air in said chamber first over the cooling unit,then through the storage compartment, and, thereafter, over the surfaceof the water normally in the water pan, a condenser exterior of saidinsulated chamber for condensing the refrigerant evaporated by saidcooling unit, a tube for conducting the condensed refrigerant from saidcondenser to the evaporative cooling unit, said tube being in heatexchange relationship with the water normally in the water pan toincrease the vaporization of said water and thereby increase thehumidity of the air in the insulated chamber.

5. In a mechanical refrigerator, the combination of an insulatedchamber, a cooling unit and a water pan therein, said water pan havingan inclined bottom, means for conveying the condensate from said coolingunit to said water pan, a drainage opening near the lower portion of theinclined bottom of said water pan, means for varying the elevation ofsaid drainage opening progressively to vary the height and thereby-theexposed surface of the water normally in said pan to control theevaporation of said water in orderto regulate the humidity of the air inth insulated chamber.

6. In a mechanical refrigerator, the combination of an insulatedchamber, a cooling unit and water pan therein, said water pan having aninclined bottom, means for conveying the condensate from said coolingunit to said water pan, means for circulating the air in said cabinetover the surface of the water normallyzin the water pan, a drainageopening near the lower portion of the inclined bottom of said water pan,means for varying the elevation of said drainage opening progressivelyto vary the height and thereby the exposed surface of the water normallyin said pan to control the evaporation of said water in order toregulate the humidity of the air in the insulated chamber.

7. In a mechanical refrigerator, the combination of an insulatedchamber, a cooling unit and a water pan therein remote from said coolingunit, said water pan having an inclined bottom, means for conveying thecondensate from said cooling unit to said water pan, means forcirculating the air in said chamber over the cooling unit and over thesurface of the water normally in the water pan, a drainage opening nearthe lower portion of the inclined bottom of said water pan, means forvarying the elevation of said drainage opening'to vary the height andthereby the exposed surface of .the water normally in said pan tocontrol the evaporation of said water in order to regulate the humidityof the air in the insulated chamber.

8. In a mechanical refrigerator, the combination of an insulatedchamber, an evaporative cooling unit and water pan therein, said waterpan having an inclined bottom, means for conveying the condensate .fromsaid cooling unit to said water pan, a drainage opening near the lowerportion of the inclined bottom of said water pan. means for varying theelevation of said drainage opening to vary the height and thereby theexposed surface of the water normally in said pan, means for circulatingthe air in said chamber over the cooling unit and over the surface ofthe water normally in the water pan, a condenser for condensing therefrigerant evaporated by said cooling unit, a tube for conducting thecondensed refrigerant from said condenser to the evaporator, said tubepassing through the water normally in the water pan to transfer some ofthe heat of the condensed refrigerant to said water to increase thevaporization of the water and thereby increase the humidity of the airin the insulated chamber.

' ROBERT HARRELL TULL.

